something close to a rat, we're close to ratatouille here. anthony, thank you so much. we'll be coming back to you as you continue to get more secret documents from the mueller probe. thanks to your work. i want to thank everyone for watching our msnbc special tonight. i'll see you weeknights on "the beat" 6:00 p.m. eastern. have a great evening. welcome, michelle obama. >> michelle obama has returned to the spotlight. >> when she lifts her voice, people listen. >> from her humble roots in chicago. >> michelle is south side to the core. >> a girl from the south side can become first lady, all things are possible. >> her journey to the white house embodied the american dream. >> if you can dream with me then you know there is no other choice other than barack obama. >> there was no going back. a new day had dawned. >> she was like no other first lady.

>> let's move, let's move! >> she challenged us always to move the dial. >> full of spirit and grace but forced to walk a tightrope. >> as a black woman, there were certain emotions she wasn't allowed to have. >> and i hope i've made you proud. >> now for the former mom in chief, there's no holding back. >> it's my responsibility to use my voice to help people. >> michelle obama's one of the most revered public figures, not just maybe in america, but in the world today. ♪ she's destined to be remembered as one of the nation's most beloved first ladies. >> i always knew she was a rock star. >> she's not one to be in someone's shadow, just like she wasn't in the president's shadow. >> i wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves.

i watch my daughters, two beautiful, intelligent black young women, playing with their dogs on the white house lawn. >> she does represent the notion if you're true to yourself, you can succeed in this country. it may be hard but you can succeed. >> after leaving the white house, michelle obama stepped away from the spotlight. >> michelle took some time after leaving 1600 pennsylvania avenue to figure out what she would do what role she would play. >> she and the president signed a joint multi-million dollar deal to write their memoirs. the couple started a company called higher ground productions to produce a range of programs for netflix. every so often she emerged for speaking engagements to remind her supporters the fight for change isn't over yet.

>> former first lady michelle obama! >> but in the leadup to the 2018 november midterms, michelle returned to the national stage. >> i was in las vegas which was her first big speech. it was a little bit like getting the band back together. >> i'm here today to talk about why voting matters. >> when she lifts her voice, people listen. i think there's core questions of our values and character and what we expect of our leaders that i think she's uniquely suited to speak to. >> i am sick of all the chaos and the nastiness of our politics. >> she's talking more about what it feels like to be living in this time. >> it's exhausting. and frankly it's depressing. >> she is not overtly political in what she's saying. she's not coming straight out and going after republicans or going after donald trump.

>> how did this working mother from modest beginnings evolve into an american icon? >> i am not a unicorn. there are millions of kids like me out there. and it's just a shame that sometimes people will see me and they will only see my color. we are all just people. you know. >> to figure out what michelle is doing at any point in her professional career, it's valuable to look back to the world she grew up in in chicago. >> i was born and raised here on the south side in south shore. and i am who i am today because of this community. >> michelle obama's story in chicago is so familiar to so many african-americans.

her grandparents came north in the great migration. they came to seek fortune, to get away from the racism of the south. >> michelle is south side to the core. and i think she represents both the hopes and dreams and struggles of that community in a beautiful way. >> michelle lavaughn robinson was born in chicago in 1964. the same year the nation's landmark civil rights act was passed. while there was racial strife in cities across the u.s., michelle's south shore neighborhood on chicago's south side was a peaceful, hopeful place. >> when we were growing up in the '60s and '70s, it was utopian-esque. there were no drugs, no guns. it takes a village. everyone knew everyone. affirmative action had taken place. there were opportunities for black people to move up. >> michelle's parents, marian and frasier robinson, were a

formidable presence in the neighborhood. >> as for my dad, he worked as a pump operator at the city water plant. >> even though he battle the multiple sclerosis, frasier robinson rarely missed a day of work. >> every day without fail, i watched my father struggle on crutches to slowly make his way across our apartment, out the door, to work. without complaint or self pity or regret. >> the robinsons lived in a one-bedroom apartment on the second floor of a relative's home. the space was tight. as was the family's bond. leonaonard jewel grew up with michelle and her older brother, craig. >> michelle and craig had a strong sense of self. what mr. and mrs. robinson did was they fortified that sense of self, so they could walk out in the world and not be blown over by all the adversity that came at them. >> even though my parents didn't

have a lot of money, they never went to college themselves, they had an unwavering belief in the power of education. so they always pushed me and my brothers to do whatever it took to succeed in school. >> marian robinson stayed mostly at home when michelle and her older brother craig were growing up. she taught craig how to read. she later said that michelle didn't think she needed her mother's help learning how to read. >> those guys had to study, they had a time to study. i mean, it was discipline. i didn't have any discipline. >> michelle's efforts paid off when she was accepted at whitney m. young, the city's first integrated magnet high school for chicago's top students. >> at whitney young, she was in the choir. she was in the student government. she was good at sports and yet she decided she didn't want

to be defined by sports, partly maybe because that was her brother's thing. >> in 1979 michelle watched her older brother craig become a local basketball star. arne duncan, who would become the secretary of education under president obama, played with craig in high school. >> i saw a older prowho adored his younger sister, i saw a younger sister who looked up to herbig brother. >> when craig was recruited to play ball for princeton, michelle was determined to follow him. >> she likes to tell the story, if he could go there, of course i could. she definitely thought she was as smart as he was. >> school advisers thought otherwise. >> her guidance counselor said don't fool yourself. don't think you can get into princeton. one thing about michelle obama is, it's never wise to tell her she can't do something because she'll set out ever harder to do it. and she went for it. coming up --

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high school senior michelle robinson proved her guidance counselors wrong. and was accepted to princeton in 1981. she struggled to find her way in the rarefied and largely white world of the ivy league. >> i went from the south side of chicago to princeton university. and princeton felt intimidating. some of the doubters were seeping in my head. i thought, well maybe i'm not good enough. >> rather than accept her status as an outsider, michelle became active at the multi cultural center on campus. her sophomore year, she became a mentor for incoming freshmen to help them adjust to life at princeton. one new student was teri sewell,

now the state of alabama's first african-american congresswoman. >> and in walks this tall elegant african-american woman from the south side of chicago. her big thing was that you belong here. she said that more than once to me. it was reassuring. >> michelle graduated with honors and a degree in sociology. but she grappled with what to do next. >> at princeton she was looking to sort of explore the connection between community and academia, community and law. she was very much grounded in public service. >> michelle set her sights on harvard law school. >> charles ogletree, who was a mentor to michelle obama at harvard law school, said everything michelle did, everything she thought about, everything she wrote about, were essentially reflections on race and gender, and also how to keep doors open going forward. >> after law school, michelle was recruited by some of the nation's most prestigious law

firms. and chicago beckoned. two senior partners at a top chicago law firm, saidly and austin, remember when michelle robinson started working for them. >> when you meet her, even back then, michelle was a winning person. you knew she was as smart as they come, and we certainly were thrilled to have her here. >> michelle did very well at saidly and austin. she wanted to be part of the firm's life. she helped to volunteer the summer program. >> the firm was abuzz about this fabulous first year student from harvard. black man. very articulate. i thought, yeah, right, sure. i'm sure he's not all that. i'm sure he's a black man that can talk straight. >> the firm was largely white. they wanted saidly and austin to be seen as a progressive place, a welcoming place. a place where a star such as barack obama could be happy. they introduced him to another

star at saidly and austin. >> it made complete sense to have michelle be his summer adviser. we thought he was quite extraordinary. we thought she was terrific. they took it from there. >> his first day he came, he was late. so i thought, he's weird and he's trifling. so when he showed up i thought okay, well, he is cute. >> she was his mentor. and he wanted to date her. and she thought it was kind of like uncouth to be dating the young man in the office. >> my wife and i are fans of spike lee's movies. "do the the right thing" was playing at a theater near us. we went one night, and to our surprise as we were getting some popcorn, we spotted michelle and barack together. and we didn't know this at the time. it was their first date. >> he was charming and funny. and engaging and down to earth. i mean, he was really a surprise.

>> i think that they made a really great couple. and michelle grounded him in a way that i hadn't seen before. >> after that summer, barack returned to harvard to finish law school. while michelle continued at the saidly and austin. they maintained a long distance relationship. until a family tragedy brought them together. in 1991, fraser robinson passed away due to complications from m.s. >> barack went back to support her, to be at the funeral. and he said that as fraser was being buried, he realized that michelle was absolutely central to his life, and he was going to look after her. >> barack graduated and returned to chicago to be with michelle. and as their relationship deepened, both of the harvard law grads decided to make career moves. determined to pursue his passion, barack turned down a good offer from saidly and austin. >> well, when he came to tell me, he said, i love you guys, i

love the work, i'd be happy here, but i can't take the job. and i said, why? and he said, i think i'm going to go into politics. and he said, i'm taking michelle with me. i said, you no-good, rotten, worthless piece of -- he said, hold it, we're going to get married. i said, that's different. >> a year later in the fall of 1992, michelle robinson became michelle obama in a ceremony presided over by the couple's pastor, the reverend jeremiah wright jr., a figure who would stir up controversy for the obamas in years ahead. michelle launched a new career in public service. first working in the chicago mayor's office. then starting a chapter of a mentoring organization called public allies. >> you can go back to her work at public allies in chicago where she really started and ran a program that was all about mentoring and introducing young people to public service.

>> it was during this time that barack won a seat in the illinois state senate. but it didn't feel like a win for michelle. the couple had a new baby girl, malia, and barack's job had him commuting from three hours chicago to springfield. >> my thoughts were, are you nuts? just get a job. make some money. this politics stuff is crazy. >> she's looking at the bank account and saying, is this really going to be our nut? >> though money was tight and the couple soon welcomed their second child, sasha, barack began pondering a bold new idea. a long-shot run for u.s. senate. >> it was a big gamble. his name is barack obama, and here he's running against a democratic candidate who would go on to spend $29 million? and his friends, including michelle, were very skeptical that this was a good idea. >> in time, michelle came around. >> i took my wife hat off and put on my citizen hat and

thought, i would want to see what politics could be like with somebody like him in it. he would be one of the giants. >> to help support her family, michelle left public allies for a higher-paying position at the university of chicago. as her husband's 2004 illinois senate race heated up -- >> all right, enough talking, let's get busy. >> -- michelle joined the effort, helping barack win the state's march primaries. a landslide victory that made waves across the country. >> thank you, illinois! >> the 42-year-old contender for a u.s. senate seat was seen as the rising star of the democratic party. michelle, a fiercely private woman, seemed reluctant to put herself front and center. >> this is the one person i'd be afraid to run against. she's smarter than me. she's tougher than me. and clearly she's better looking than i am.

>> the young senate candidate from illinois was a surprise choice to give the keynote speech at the democratic national convention. michelle watched as her husband made history. >> the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs. the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores. the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that america has a place for him too. >> what did you think? >> you know, i was incredibly proud. and i'm tough on him. and all i have to say is, honey, you didn't screw it up, so good job. >> it was a huge moment. and once he gave that speech, he was suddenly propelled into the stratosphere. at least among political commentators. >> but one young man was an unlikely background, owned this convention last night and this town today, barack obama. >> the sky seemed to be the limit. coming up --

>> i know in my heart that we can get this right. >> she ended up taking on the nickname in the campaign, the closer. she needed a group of five or six iowans who were undecided, and she'd get them to commit. the list i s selecting a chairman for the... for the advisory board what's this? as well as use the remaining... child care options run out. lifetime retirement income from tiaa doesn't. guaranteed monthly income for life. (mom vo) it's easy to shrink into your own little world. especially these days. (dad) i think it's here. (mom vo) especially at this age. (big sis) where are we going? (mom vo) it's a big, beautiful world out there. (little sis) whoa... (big sis) wow. see that? (mom vo) sometimes you just need a little help seeing it.

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barack obama! >> four months after his electrifying speech at the 2004 democratic national convention, barack obama was elected to the u.s. senate by an overwhelming majority. with michelle promoted to vice president of the university of chicago hospitals, the obamas' careers and family life were soaring. but with the nation at war and its economy faltering, senator obama began eyeing a much bigger role for himself. he turned to a political strategist, david plouffe. >> when we really started talking serious about barack obama running for the president, the day after the 2006 midterms. the one thing you were definitely uncertain about, where would michelle obama come down on this question? >> michelle was wary of politics and knew a run for president would turn their lives upside down. >> she wanted to know how this

was going to work. practically. logistically for the family. >> she is someone who cuts to the chase. and wants to know exactly what's our strategy? could we really put together a campaign that wouldn't embarrass us? >> and facing off against hillary clinton, michelle knew that barack was the underdog. before blessing her husband's long-shot run, she issued him an ultimatum, one that she shared with her former boss. >> i said, well, how are you thinking about this? and she said, well, i've got a few things on my mind about it, obviously. but the first is, i told him if you're going to do this, you're going to stop smoking. >> by january of 2008, michelle had fully committed to barack's decision to run for president. >> the campaign staff has been just really good about being cognizant that we're a family.

>> i think he believed and they believed that they could bring their true selves, their authentic selves, to that role. >> the reason why i'm standing here today is that if he cares half as much for this country as he does about his own children, we're going to be just fine. >> i have spent my entire adult life as a professional, as a mother, juggling, balancing so many different hats and personalities, that i sort of add one more on there. it's like, okay, i can do that too. i get up in the morning, i get on a plane after getting the girls ready, do a series of events, and i go home, usually before the girls go to bed. >> early in the campaign michelle had to figure a lot of it out on her own. she did not have a big staff, she did not have a full-time speechwriter. she went out on the stump and she told stories about barack. and she told stories about herself.

>> then there's the barack obama who lives in my house. that guy is not as impressive. he still has trouble putting the bread up and putting his socks actually in the dirty clothes. >> she's telling funny stories about him. really humanizing him for people. and helping them to see, though he might be a skinny guy with a funny name, he's michelle obama's husband. >> but not everyone found michelle obama's stump speech refreshing. >> barack obama's not all that impressive, according to his wife. i mean, i don't think -- you don't need to be dr. freud to see hostility. >> it wasn't this very polished political speech, and some people did read that as she was making jokes at his expense. >> the criticism didn't stop michelle and barack's surging popularity. >> the last seven days i have been speaking five times a day. i'm not the candidate.

but i am doing it because i know in my heart that we can get this right. >> she ended up taking on the nickname in the campaign, the closer. because she'd meet with a group of five or six iowans who were undecided, and she'd get them to commit. >> as the obamas notched primary wins, the news media and the opposition hung on their every word. during a speech in wisconsin, michelle gave barack's rivals a chance to pounce. >> let me tell you something. for the first time in my adult lifetime, i'm really proud of my country. >> that's not what i would have said but it certainly sounds authentic. >> 15 words suddenly had the republican opposition questioning michelle's patriotism. >> i'm proud of my country, i don't know about you, if you heard those words earlier, i'm very proud of my country. >> some conservative press and pundits characterized michelle as an angry black woman. >> she never really let it get to her that much. she put her game face on.

but it had to hurt. >> as a black woman under that spotlight, there were essentially certain emotions she wasn't allowed to have. such as frustration. or aggravation. it all needed to be under this umbrella of a pleasant smile. >> add to all this a story from abc news that revealed incendiary sermons given by the obamas' pastor, the man who married them in chicago, the reverend jeremiah wright jr. >> when it came to treating the citizens of african descent fairly, america failed. no, no, no, not god bless america, [ muted ] damn america. >> their association with the reverend threatened to derail the obamas' underdog campaign. >> whenever we had a tough moment, we had plenty of them, her approach would not be like, that's too bad. it would be, what are we going to do to fix it? >> the team decided barack needed to explain himself to the

american public. >> barack obama makes the most important speech of his presidential campaign. >> it took place in philadelphia and the subject was race. >> we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together. >> that was a highwire moment. in speaking to michelle afterwards, she said that was the proudest she had been the entire campaign up to that point. >> the speech put the campaign back on track and helped barack obama clinch the democratic nomination for president. but the victory was overshadowed by a simple gesture, a fist bump that pushed criticism to a new level. >> when it happened, most people throughout the country could relate. and then on fox news -- >> a fist bump, a pound, a terrorist fist jab? >> and it becomes a scandal during the campaign. they began to paint the obamas potentially as these radical figures. >> i have that cover of "the new

yorker" with her in the afro looking like angela davis. i remember thinking to myself, whoa. if only the american public could know the michelle robinson obama that i know. >> fist bump, place. >> that's right! >> on abc's "the view" she responded to her critics. >> what is your answer to all of these attacks? >> well, you know -- i take them in stride. it's a part of this process. we're not new to politics, but just let me tell you, of course i'm proud of my country. >> and everything started to be geared toward a big re-emergence of michelle at the democratic national convention in denver in the summer of 2008. >> this time we listen to our hopes instead of our fears. in this great country where a girl from the south side of chicago can go to college and law school, and the son of a single mother from hawaii can go all the way to the white house. >> her speech in 2008 was an absolute home run. people who saw it thought they knew him better, they liked him

better, they understood him better. >> and let's stand together to elect barack obama president of the united states of america. thank you. >> for the next two months the obamas fought hard against barack's republican opponent, john mccain. then election night. >> from tears to cheers and high emotion at chicago's grant park, america elects its first african-american president. >> from chicago's south side, michelle's incredible journey had taken her to the white house. >> because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to america. >> and you see the family on this enormous stage, but then the cameras also pan to the crowd, and there's just this diverse array of people in grant park. there was no going back.

a new day had dawned. coming up -- >> michelle obama talked about feeling the pressure of being the first african-american first lady. and often feeling like there was no room for error. granted. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ ♪ do you recall, not long ago ♪ we would walk on the sidewalk ♪ ♪ all around the wind blows ♪ we would only hold on to let go ♪ ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on ♪ blow a kiss into the sun ♪ we needed somebody to lean on ♪ ♪ ♪

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former u.n. ambassador nikki haley accused former secretary of state rex tillerson and former chief of staff john kelly of attempting to recruit her to undermine the president. in her new memoir halley said they saw the operation as a way to quote save the country. bolivian president morales announced he is stepping down. morales had ruled for 14 years. he leaves office amid accusations of vote manipulation in the recent election.

i, barack hussein obama do solemnly swear -- >> it was an historic day for america when barack obama became the nation's 44th president. january 20th, 2009. >> congratulations, mr. president. >> on their first day at first family the obamas managed to be glamorous and yet simultaneously really seem to be like a pretty ordinary american family. >> i thought the american people got an incredible deal. they got two for the price of one. >> i think part of her desire was to simply underscore the fact that this is what an american family looks like. >> i will never forget that winter morning as i watched our

girls, just 7 and 10 years old, pile into those black suvs with all those big men with guns. and i saw their little faces pressed up against the window. and the only thing i could think was, what have we done? >> i can't overstate how focused she was on like, how do i make this transition okay for my girls? where they're going to be under one of the most intense spotlights you can imagine any two young people being under. >> hi. >> first on michelle's agenda was to make their private quarters feel like their hyde park home. to help she brought in sam cass, a professional chef and close friend from chicago. >> i was like big brother sam. when we got there we would work to tamp down the formalities of the place. like all the butlers would serve in tuxedos. which of course they did. also what? there's little kids.

we don't need them in tuxes for a tuesday dinner of chicken strips and broccoli. we dialed back some of that formality. >> michelle turned to her mother for help. >> mary is part of the family. she moved to d.c. and helped raise the girls. talk about family tightness and togetherness and strength of family that was extraordinary and tangible. >> after michelle was swept into the east wing on pledges of change, many americans had high expectations for their first lady. >> people started asking her, oh, what will you be doing as first lady? i think they sort of thought that perhaps she was going to be this sort of secondary leader coming out of the east wing. and she said that she was going to be mom in chief. >> some women, particularly in feminist circles, hear her say that and their heads just explode. michelle obama talked about feeling the pressure of being

the first african-american first lady. and often feeling like there was no room for error. >> a few months into the job, she pressed her staff in the east wing to get busy. >> she tasked us very early on, i want real impact here. like, do not bring me anything that just looks good, this is about impact. >> mrs. obama used to say, there's only one person elected in this building. if we're not doing something that's value-added to the president's agenda, then why are we doing it? >> with the affordable care act making its way through congress, michelle launched an idea with sam cass. >> if you're serious about trying to produce a better health care system, you should really focus on the health of children. >> the first lady was determined to do something about the nation's soaring rates of childhood obesity. >> are you ready to get to work? >> yes! >> all right, sam, tell us what we're going to, do let's get up, get some shovels. >> she began by creating an official white house garden.

>> every time we did an event, she wanted to make sure there was kids involved. they helped us break ground, they helped us plant. every season they came back to harvest. we'd all cook together. >> it was a small first step in launching her first big initiative. >> let's move, let's move! >> trying to make health and well-being a topic that people cared about and got excited about was a huge cultural challenge. we needed to do it in a way that was fun. that was warm and welcoming. not preachy. >> i like you. >> i like you too. >> unlike any first lady before her, michelle was able to harness the power of celebrity, pop culture, and social media, to spread her message. >> when she launches "let's move," beyonce creates a song and a dance number that is in support of the first lady's work. ♪ get your feet off the floor hey ♪ >> it was also to i think leverage her own celebrity as

the bully pulpit of bully pulpits. >> we had jimmy fallon doing a mini olympics for "let's move" on the state floor of the white house in like this unitard that he wore. >> no way, jimmy. >> gotcha. >> kind of weird but it got the message across. >> i think she strategically chose television shows, having a good time with ellen on her daytime show. all of those things put her in people's living rooms day after day. >> so she just was living her values and letting the world see that. and it changed perception. >> not everyone was in favor of the effort to remove junk food from schools. some conservative media commentators accused the first lady of wanting to turn america into a nanny state. >> we don't need the federal government applying, projecting these standards upon us. and michelle obama is so like the duchess when she speaks

about -- >> should attacks got personal. >> it doesn't look like michelle obama follows her own nutritionary dietary advice. then we hear that she's out eating ribs. >> there were political cartoons and memes that painted her as ape-like. really racist things. >> though she appeared stoic, michelle admitted to friends that the hits were hurtful. >> i think what she's done her whole life, to look past the naysayers, to brush it off. to be very certain what you're doing what the goal was, and keep toward it. >> the first term gave michelle obama the experience to tackle what lay ahead. coming up, michelle obama speaks out. >> it has shaken me to my core in a way i couldn't have predicted. my symptoms were keeping me from being there. so, i talked to my doctor

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as her husband won the second term with her own approval rating skyrocketing, the first lady exuded a growing confidence in her role. >> i don't think anybody could be prepared for the white house unless you'd been there before. i watched her get increasingly comfortable both with her ability to be in that space, command it. most importantly how to use it. >> magazines like "vogue" lauded michelle as an icon of style. >> she wanted young african-american girls to look at the cover of "vogue" and see someone who looked like them. that she understood that it was more than just a fashion photo. >> but just days after the inaugural celebration kicked off the new term, a tragedy in chicago jolted the white house. >> we get news that hidea

pendleton, a young high school student at martin luther king high school on the south side, had been killed while swinging on swings at the park. it later came out that she and the band had performed at the inauguration right before that happened. >> michelle and her staff attended the memorial service in chicago. >> this was a little michelle. this was a young african-american teen girl from the south side doing great in school. big dreams. michelle was lucky enough to live out her dreams. hidea wasn't. >> the safe and stable south side of michelle's youth has largely been replaced by despair and violence. >> there have been so many tragedies in chicago, but that one, you know, felt more direct to us. so we then went to visit harper high school, which at the time had been a high school that had experienced 21 or 22 gang-related shootings.

mrs. obama's constant message was, i grew up just around the corner from here, and this is what i did, and education was the path for me and it can be for you. a young girl wound up standing on her chair weeping and literally shouting to her schoolmates saying, do you hear what she's saying? she's saying, we are like her and we can be like her. >> the experience helped inspire the east wing's next big initiative, "reach higher." >> well, this day is the day you all can celebrate another step toward achieving your american dream. yeah. >> the "reach higher" initiative is one of the most impactful things she did on a very human on a very visceral level. to let teens across the country think, guess what? the first lady can be the first in her family with a brother to go to college, maybe i can do that too. >> or maybe, maybe like me, along the way somebody told you you would never make it to this day.

and you simply weren't college material. well, this day is for the doubters and the haters too. >> i remember people would sometimes burst into tears and say, i got through school because you were my inspiration. and you know, those are the moments that's kind of not just fueled mrs. obama but i think fueled all of us. >> throughout her that these are our girls. they deserve the same chances to get an education as my daughters and your daughters and all of our children. [ cheers ] >> whether she was live on stage or taping an episode of cbs's late night with james cordon, michelle was connecting. >> my message to kids here is don't take your education for granted. >> weighed great song with him.

this is for my girls and missy elliott jumping in. >> put your hands up high >> after seven years as first lady, michelle used her star power to campaign vigorously for her husband's former rival, hillary clinton. >> in this election there is only one person who i trust with that responsibility, only one person who i believe is truly qualified to be president of the united states, and that is our friend, hillary clinton. [ cheers ] >> at stake, nothing less than the obama's legacy. coming up, an emotional goodbye. >> being your first lady has been the greatest honor of my life, and i hope i've made you proud. make fitness routine with pure protein.

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first lady of these united states, michelle obama. >> with just six months left as

america's first lady, michelle obama would turn to the campaign trail where she fought hard for the democratic front-runner, hillary clinton. >> at that point in time we had a pretty stark choice between two visions of what the country could be. >> one of the messages that she delivered on behalf of hillary clinton to these audiences was that if you don't vote for her, you're voting to elect donald trump. >> after the leaked "access hollywood" tape, people wondered if michelle would address the controversy. >> it has shiny me to my core in a way that i couldn't have predicted. this is not something that we can ignore. >> she called on women and voters to say enough is enough. >> the polls had hillary as a shoo in to become the nation's 45th president but on election night, a very different outcome toop took shape. >> let's all be frank. we got it long.

>> despite the allegations of sexual assault against him, trump won 42% of the female vote. after the stunning upset, michelle spoke candidly during a televised interview with oprah winfrey. >> everything, the election, was all about hope. do you think this administration achieved that? >> yes. i do. now we're feeling what not having hope feels like. >> president elect trump was quick to respond. >> michelle obama said yesterday that there's no hope. but i assume she was talking about the past, not the future. >> her willingness to speak her mind prompted an outcry for michelle obama to run for president herself in 2020. >> to many democrats in the 2016 campaign, she was the moral voice of the party. >> when they go low, we go high. [ cheers ] >> as michelle obama's time in the white house came to a close in 2016, she delivered her last

speech to some of her most loyal supporters. >> i can think of no better way to end my time as first lady than celebrating with all of you. so i want to close the day by simply saying thank you. being your first lady has been the greatest honor of my life. and i hope i've made you proud. [ cheers and applause ] >> there's a sort of very formal day that takes, so the new president and the first lady come over, they meet the chief usher. they have tea. she said she felt emotional in terms of saying goodbye to the staff, but she was worried about shedding a tear knowing if the cameras caught that that someone would say she was crying because of the new administration. so she was very steely throughout and had already made clear that she's ready for this new phase. >> michelle left the public eye

and stayed in washington to see sasha through high school. michelle continued her work behind the scenes. >> help us welcome former first lady michelle obama. >> 22 months after she left the white house, citizen michelle obama emerged. >> i made a commit to girls around the world when i was in the white house that i would not walk away from this issue when i left. and this is my fulfillment of that promise through the obama foundation. >> while michelle's supporters would still love to see her run for president in 2020, she said she has a different mission. >> politics is just not my thing. this is how i want to work in the world. i want to work on positive issues with girls around the world. >> michelle's goals today are identical to her goals when she

started public allies in chicago. her platform is wildly larger, but her goals are to empower, her goals are to create opportunity, her goals are to help educate. >> the former first lady's new memoir called "becoming" reveals stories from her life like the one she shared about her fertility struggles. >> i felt like i tailed because i didn't know how common miscarriages were because we don't talk about it. >> in other excerpts she wrote candidly about the birther conspiracy which she said was, quote, deliberately many meant to stir up the wing nuts and the cooks, putting her own family at risk. for a famously guarded first

lady, she persevered through it all. >> there's going to be a lot of lessons for all of us about how to handle challenge, how to handle triumph, how to still be yourself. >> she's a great example of what's possible when you believe in yourself, when you believe in your community, when you believe in the power of people. god, no, please, no. this can't be real. >> a teenage home alone in a night of terror. >> i i would stare at the windows and try to figure out how scared she must have been. >> on her body